Christopher James Hawley

Christopher James Hawley tragically passed away on June 24, 2022 just 3 weeks shy of his 23rd birthday surrounded by his loving family. While grieving his untimely death and devastated by Christopher’s sudden passing, his family holds on tight to the many memories and the legacy of joy and love that Christopher has left behind.

Christopher, known as Chris to his close friends, was the first child born to his parents, Anne and Bill Hawley. He came into the world on July 15, 1999 to the delight of his mother and father and was born in Newport Beach, California. He became a big brother in 2003 when his younger brother, Alex, was born, and the two of them were inseparable. Christopher was a third-generation member of the West Garden Grove community, growing up in the same home as his mother had. He attended Patton Elementary, Bell Junior High, and Pacifica High School Class of 2018.

Christopher was so excited when he was admitted to the Class of 2022 at San Diego State University (SDSU) and had just graduated this past May with his Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Performance Arts. His dream was to pursue acting in television and film and eventually, become a director. Christopher expressed an interest in acting from a young age in elementary school which continued throughout his education. He was a member of the theater program at Pacifica High School during grades 9-12 and learned much about the many aspects of production including acting and set design management. Christopher’s theater experience continued to grow during his 4 years at SDSU. Because of the pandemic, his college performances transitioned to a Zoom format including a Zoom performance in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Christopher was most proud of his participation in the Playwright’s Project performance of Beyond Prison Walls which he participated in during his freshman year at SDSU and again via Zoom during his junior year. It featured scripts written by incarcerated playwrights from various correctional and reentry facilities in Southern California.

In addition to his love of theater, Christopher was a fan of many types of music and in particular, he was a fan of the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, One Republic, and music from the ‘80s. He enjoyed all genres of film, especially films by Alfred Hitchcock and all things Star Wars. He was known to be an expert with Legos and loved reading; the entire Harry Potter series and Stephen King’s The Shining were favorites. He loved time with family whether it was traveling, playing board games, going to the movies, and just hanging out around the swimming pool. Along with his mom and brother, Christopher attained his first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do in 2019 which was a source of great pride for his family.

Christopher loved the Los Angeles Lakers, the Angels, and the Rams! Christopher loved to laugh and could always find the humor in situations when it was needed. He loved celebrations all year round and especially looked forward to birthdays, the Fourth of July, Halloween, and Christmas. He found joy in everything and in everyone around him. He was a bright light in this world and was always so positive and kind. He wanted everyone around him to be happy. He persevered when things got tough or challenging and managed to never complain. Christopher was selfless, a hard worker, and was always willing to lend a hand whenever he saw that it was needed.

In addition to his mother, father, and brother, Christopher leaves behind his grandpa, Wayne Quint, as well as, a large extended family of grieving aunts, uncles, and cousins too numerous to mention, as well as his precious family cats, Smokey and Bandit. Christopher is preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Virginia Quint; his paternal grandmother, Beverly Hawley; his paternal grandfather, Andrew Hawley; his aunt, Susan Hawley; and his beloved uncle, Terry Siegfried. May Christopher Rest in Eternal Peace.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 12:00 noon at Harbor Lawn-Mt. Olive Mortuary and Memorial Park in Costa Mesa, California.